Don clark



(No Model.)

E. H. G. CLARK.

TRUSS.

nu: mams rnsns au. mow-urna.. wAmmaroN. u. c.

UNITED STATES- PATENT. Ormes.

EDW'ARD IIEIYES GORDON CLARK, OF WTASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

muss; f

srncrFIcATIoN-foming part of Letters Patent No. 603,126, dated Apro. 2e, 189e.

Application nea october 1, 1897.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EDyvannHnWEs GOR- noN CLARK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in trusses for the treatment of rupture or hernia; and the object of the invention is to provide a truss which can be readily laundered and is so constructed from textile fabric that the different parts can he secured to each other by stitching and by buckles, the parts being capable of being folded uponv themselves to change the shape of the strap in cross-section.

The invention also consists in providing a truss with a waistband of tubular material which is adapted to receive within the same filling or padding.

The invention further consists in the special construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and specically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective View of a truss as constructed for the treatment of hernia. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the belt or waistband. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the front portion of the truss, showing the arrangement of the pocket which'receives ,the pad. Fig. Li is a vertical sectional view through one of the tabs attached to the rear portion of the belt. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the front portion of the truss, showing the arrangement of the pad. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing one of the straps attached to the belt.

A refers to a band made up of woven textile fabric in tubular form, and this band has placed therein pads d o., which may consist of cotton-batting or a double thickness of the material from which the belt is made, and

Serial No. 653,706. (No model.)

these pads are retained within the belt by a longitudinal row of stitches, so as to prevent displacement of the pads or filling. Over the belt A, adjacent to the padsn, are secured tabs b h, made up of wider pieces of fabric than the belt, and these tabs are stitched to the belt A and are provided below the belt with buckles ZJ', preferably of non-corrosive material, the tongues of said buckles projecting downwardly.

B refers to the front portion of the truss, which is made up from a piece of tubular fabric of greater width than the belt A, and the center portion thereof has a filling B', and to `this front portion of the belt Bis attached by stitching the forward ends of straps or bands C C, also made of tubular material, the upper ends opposite the portion B and for a considverable distance below the same containing a lling or inclosing a filling or stuffing c, and to the belt B, over the ends of the straps C, is secured a wide piece of textile fabric D, which is folded upon itself to provide a pocket D', one end of the strip extending considerabiy below the belt, so as to lie behind the upper ends of the strap C. The straps or bands being of tubular material will not present any sharp edges, and the sides may be brought together and connected to provide an intermediate tubular portion O', which will reduce the width of the bands.

The front portion of the belt B on each side of the pocket has attached buckles h2, with which the ends of the rear portion of the belt en gages.

Within the pocket D' is placed the pad, which may consist of a piece of stiff waterproof paper c, bent upon itself, so as to partially inclose woven strips e', and a central strip or piece of wood or other material to give stiffness to the pad and change the configuration of the pocket to meet the condition of the case of rupture under treatment.

A truss made up in accordance with my invention is composed of knit goods the major portion of which is in tubular form, so that 4the parts can be stuffed or padded at such portions where it is desired to bring pressure to hold the appliance in place and permit perfect freedom of movement by the wearer. The cross-piece or front portion of the belt, which extends across the groins and front of I OU the body and has a central portion made up as shown, provides an effective pad, while the ends are left thin, so as to protect the body from abrasion when the belt is worn. The straps which pass between the legs are shaped so as to present the least transverse diameter between the legs of the wearer, (see Fig. 6,) while the ends are left fiat, so as to be worn with the least amount of inconvenience. The pocket for the pad is of such construction that the padding may be increased or dimin ished by the wearer with little inconvenience, and such a truss can be washed as any other article of wearingapparel- For general use it is preferred that the truss be made up from that class of woven fabrics known as lamp-wicking, as it is soft and practically non-elastic.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of manufacture a truss made up of textile fabric comprising tubular belt-sections A B, said sections carrying pads ct a, the central portion of the beltsection B having centrally a filling-piece, tabs b secured to the belt-section A adjacent to the pads thereof, said tabs carrying below the belt buckles, straps C C having their ends secured adjacent to each other to the front portion of the belt B, a loop or pocket formed of a strip which is secured to the ends of the straps C C, and to the front portion of the belt, a filling positioned in said pocket and buckles secured to the strap B, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

' In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD HEWES GORDON CLARK.

Witnesses:

G. S. ELLIOTT, D. L. RICE. 

